Wild Horse Chase
by turbomagnus
Summary: A collection of my Ranma 1/2 shorts, drabbles and snippets. Characters, situations and pairings may vary, but Ranma/Nabiki will likely feature prominently.
1. Deliberate Misconceptions

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 15 January.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and is used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. The song "She Only Gets That Way With Me" belongs to Toby Keith and whoever else and is used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

Yes, I copied and pasted the stupid disclaimers. Stupid disclaimers, making me have to write them for every story. It's a conspiracy! That's what it is, a conspiracy - disclaimers are out to take over the world and they're using innocent fanfiction writers as pawns to increase their numbers!

* * *

"Deliberate Misconceptions"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

* * *

"So," one of the other boys sitting on the grass waiting for his turn in gym class poked Ranma in the side with his elbow, "What's it like?"

Ranma looked back at the other boy, Daisuke or something like that, "What's what like?"

"You know," Daisuke tilted his head towards the field where the girls in the gym class were currently playing baseball, "Living with _Her_ - it's gotta be something."

Ranma knit his fingers together and put them behind his head as he laid back in the grass, "I guess."

The other boy with them, Ranma thought his name was Hiroshi, looked at him in shock, "You guess?"

Somehow, despite his position, Ranma managed to shrug, "What can I say?"

"Well, no one else lives with _Her_, so what's she like outside of school? What's she like at home?" Daisuke pushed, causing the pigtailed boy to shake his head.

"She ain't shy, she's outspoken, boys, she always speaks her mind..." Ranma smirked more to himself than anyone else, "Except those quiet little moments when I am all she needs and I hold her tenderly..."

When he noticed the excited and almost hopeful looks on their faces, he had to burst their bubbles, "Sorry, guys, she only gets that way with me. She don't cry, somehow she seems to keep it all inside... until those magic little moments when I am all she needs and life is good, you see..."

Ranma suddenly say up, crossing his leds and resting his arms on his knees as he looked at first one, then the other of the two boys, "She gets sad sometimes, she'll never show it; you might make her mad, but you'll never know it..."

Hiroshi and Daisuke exchanged a slightly confused look that said 'What is he talking about?' They and everyone else at school knew that when Akane got made everyone in a block radius usually knew it.

Ranma chuckled to himself, "She don't wear her heart out on her sleeve; she only gets that way with me. Nobody knows what I know about _Her_; her hopes, her dreams, why she is who she is... Everyone else just thinks they know what I do about _Her_. She ain't weak, my baby's just as strong as she can be - until the nights she comes and tells me that the want-to in my eyes gives her butterflies..."

This had the other two boys stunned, neither of them could believe that things had really gotten that far between the two.

Standing up, Ranma stretched his arms into the air as he finished, "And she only gets that way with me."

"That's what it's like living with Akane?" Hiroshi blinked, "Wow..."

"Akane?" Ranma frowned and scratched his cheek, "I was talkin' about Nabiki, that's _Her _to me."

"Wha-!" Both Hiroshi and Daisuke facefaulted into the dirt.

Daisuke managed to recover first, "You're cheating on your fiancee with her sister!"

"No, I ain't!" Ranma snarled back at that insulting statement, "I ain't never cheated on Nabiki with nobody, especially not that Uncute Tomboy!"

"But _Akane_'s your fiancee!" Hiroshi countered.

"I don't know why people keep sayin' that," Ranma snorted as he glowered, "But it ain't true - everyone just assumes it's Akane because she calls herself something she ain't. Comparing her to me as a Martial Artist is like comparing Kuno to Torii Mototada, it just don't work that way."

"I heard your father call Akane your fiancee, though," Daisuke brought up triumphantly.

"The panda's a sorry hypocrite," Ranma shook his head firmly, a dark shape seeming to form in the air behind him, "He and his friend tell me to pick my fiancee and then everyone just starts saying it's Akane when I never even got a chance to make a choice. It don't matter what Akane calls herself, Anything Goes-Martial Arts is my life and only one of the Tendos gets it that Anything Goes means anything goes and I chose _Her_. The rest of the idiots around here don't like it, you can all feel free to fight me over the brick-breaker's 'honor', just don't be surprised to wake up at Tofu-Sensei's clinc, got it?"

Both boys gulped audibly and answered in unison, "We got it!"

Suddenly the tension in the air disappeared and Ranma smirked and clapped his hands down on their shoulders, "Great! Glad we had this talk, guys. Think I'm gonna walk around a bit while I'm waiting my turn."

As soon as they thought Ranma was out of earshot, one of the boys turned to the other, "Hiroshi?"

"Yeah?" the other boy answered.

"Are we still alive?"

"I think so," Hiroshi patted his chest just to be sure, "Daisuke?"

"Yeah?" Daisuke answered.

"I don't think we're ever gonna bring up his engagement situation around Ranma again," Hiroshi suggested.

"I think we're gonna stay as far out of it as we can get," Daisuke agreed, then added, "The way everyone keeps talking, do you even think the Tendos know about Ranma's choice?"

Hiroshi shook his head, "If they don't, I don't want to be anywhere near when they find out."


	2. Graveyard Shift

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 17 January.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and is used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

"Graveyard Shift"  
By J. T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

* * *

Kneeling in the graveyard, Nabiki lit the incense and laid it in the shallow bowl on top of her mother's gravestone before she bowed her head.

"Forgive me, Mother," she began to whisper, "I've always been selfish, everything I've done has benefited me somehow, even if it's just to prove I can outsmart and manipulate people into doing what I want... but what I'm about to do, it's selfish and I can't help wanting it, it's going to tear the family apart and even knowing that I still have to do it."

"Father and Akane will be angry," Nabiki continued, "Father will probably disown me, and Kasumi won't understand... He chose me. Of all the girls chasing after him, he chose someone who wasn't even in the game."

The corners of Nabiki's mouth twitched, "Maybe that's why he chose me; I was playing hard-to-get without even knowing it, and I know as well as anyone how some people like a challenge since I'm one of those people. Well, we're about to get our wish, aren't we? This is going to be the biggest challenge of both of our lives and we're going to be facing it with no one but each other since the family will be against us."

"I need him, Mother, and I'll need him to protect me, because I can destroy anyone going after him in ways they can't imagine, but I can't do that to my own Father and sisters," Nabiki shook her head, "He couldn't do anything to them for attacking him, but if they came after me then I can't say the same thing. It's ironic; we can't fight our own battles, but we can each fight the other's."

The lip-twitch came back, "I guess that's what being in a relationship means, isn't it? Looking after each other? It's been so long since you died, I've almost forgotten; Akane looks out for Akane most of the time, Father... I don't know what he looks out anymore... and Kasumi tries to look out for everyone, but to do that she's had to cut herself off emotionally to the point where there's no connection anymore. I'm sorry, Mother, but I can't do this anymore. I've had to look out for myself ever since you died and now it's time for me to live for myself... and for him. I've been staying alive ever since you died, but now it's time to really live..."

"I'm sorry, Mother," Nabiki said as she stood up, dusting off the knees of her tan cargo pants as she did so, "But I won't be back; We may not be able to escape our problems, but we can put some distance between them and us to give us some time to prepare to deal with them. We won't start anything, Mother, that I can promise, but we will put an end to anything anyone else starts with us; even former-family."

Bending down, she picked up the backpack that was sitting next to the grave, "Forgive me if you can, Mother, because I don't think anyone else will."

Shrugging on the backpack, Nabiki turned and began walking through the graveyard, between the rows of stone until she reached the gate and the man waiting for her there. As she stepped out of the graveyard, he reached out and put his hand on the small of her back, just under her backpack, an intimate gesture from someone unaccustomed to touch without it being an attack that was almost the same as a deep kiss from anyone else.

"You ready?" The pig-tailed man asked softly.

Nabiki nodded and answered in the same quiet tone, "Let's get out of here..."


	3. Suspended Footwear

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 24 January.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and is used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

"Suspended Footwear Is A Bad Thing"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

* * *

He'd never before had a day where he was tempted to invoke Murphy's Law, but that day had finally came. He didn't like days that were the 'calm before the storm', he much preferred the days when things were already crazy and he was caught in the middle of them - there was never that feeling of dread and impending doom where one had to wonder what was coming. This was the third quiet day in a row, though, and it was beginning to wear on his nerves. The first day was just uncomfortable, the second had put him on edge, today he was walking around on the proverbial eggshells, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Even person he saw, he watched carefully, wondering if they'd be the one to initiate events and return the missing craziness to his life.

It didn't help that the people he could normally count on to get things started with a shouted death threat and an attack seemed to be avoiding him. It was enough to leave him fuming almost, the one time he actually wanted them to pull that stunt and they were nowhere to be seen. Even the most short-tempered person he knew wasn't willing to throw a punch at him for some reason, they just turned up their nose and walked away in a huff. It just wasn't right; there were supposed to be love-crazed suitors after both of them, death threats and attacks, ancient magic artifacts and curses...

He hadn't even been affected by an unexpected splash of water in three days - he knew he was still cursed, he had tested it - it was like the universe had looked at itself and said, 'Ok, Saotome's just not entertaining anymore... Who's next on the list?' He could handle all the insanity, but if this was what a normal life was supposed to be like, he wasn't sure he'd be able to take it much longer. If something didn't happen soon, he didn't know what he was going to do...


	4. Shadows of Men and of Horses

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 22 February.

After 'killing' Saffron, Ranma doesn't return to Japan, instead he is brought to a new teacher...

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and "The Shadow" of Smith & Street Publications, as written by 'Maxwell Grant', each being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. Some dialogue is borrowed from the novelization of the movie "The Shadow" by James Lucano.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Shadows of Men and of Horses"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? ...The Shadow Knows."

* * *

-o0o-

There was no real way of knowing how long he had been walking; it could have been days or weeks, months or years. Time had no meaning, he slept when he was tired, found food and ate when he was hungry, walked when he wasn't either. But he didn't have to fight, and for the first time in his life, he welcomed that. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to fight, didn't want to learn any new techniques or practice the ones which he already knew. He had tried, at first, but something was missing now, he knew what it was, how he had lost it. He had seen himself without limits and for the first time in his life, something besides memories of the pit scared him. _He_ scared him. So he left everything behind, left the girl for others to take home, and started walking. He hadn't stopped since for more than a few hours at a time. If he stopped, someone might find him and then he might have to fight. He didn't want to fight, he didn't want to risk reaching that point again where he might have to kill to survive. If he did, he wasn't sure he would survive it. He already wasn't sure who he was anymore. There were certain pillars his life was built on, but one was cracked and crumbling already before this and now with the loss of a second, he just wasn't sure of anything anymore besides the fact that he never wanted to see that part of himself again, that part that could kill...

It scared him because it was so easy to let go and let it out. _He_ scared him.

* * *

-o0o-

Two men had been following the young man for three days without rest or stopping on the part of either party. Between themselves, they would admit that they were impressed by their target's endurance, proof of a level of mastery over the physical that few reached. That endurance, however, would not keep them from completing their mission. It was a point of pride, of purpose and of honor that they and others like them never failed in a mission for their master.

That night, when their target finally slept, he became their prisoner.

* * *

-o0o-

When Saotome Ranma awoke, he felt as if he were flying. It was as the ground approached that he realised that he wasn't flying, he had been thrown through the air. It was only a lifetime of training in The Art that gave him the ingrained reflexes needed to roll and reduce the force of the impact despite his disoriented state. As Ranma rolled up to a knee and gained his bearings, he heard the sound of movement and looked behind him to see a large set of double doors swinging closed, the view of outside between them growing narrower by the second until with a resounding boom they shut tight. Ranma's problem with that was the simple fact that he didn't see anyone else in the large, richly funished hall he now found himself in, certainly not the four or more people it would take to shut doors of that size.

"Two men run, a coward and a wise man," a voice echoed in the room, "Which are you, I wonder."

"Who's there?" Ranma demanded, "Who're you?"

"I am an insect fluttering in the dung. I roll in the dung like a pig. I digest it and fashion it into gold dust, into a brook of pure water, into stars," The voice answered, "To fashion stars out of dog dung, is that not great work?"

Ranma frowned as he stood up and looked around the hall, "What've I gotta do with stars?"

"Nothing. But you have much in common with dog dung."

"Alright," Ranma's eyes narrowed at the insult, "Who are you?"

"Your teacher."

"No thanks," Ranma retorted, "I've had enough teachers for one lifetime."

"Then perhaps it is time for a second," the voice suggested.

Ranma started walking down the hall, between the massive red marble and gold columns supporting the roof and away from the sealed door, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your body is strong, Saotome Ranma..." the voice observed, "I will make your mind stronger."

"What makes you think I want to be stronger?" Ranma snapped back defensively, uncomfortable with the fact that this faceless voice knew his name.

"You have no choice. There is a darkness within you, Saotome Ranma, a black shadow which thrives on creating chaos and destruction, you have given into it by taking a life."

"I did it to save Akane," Ranma answered, standing in the middle of the hall and looking around, "To protect an innocent, I took a life."

"Nevertheless," the voice continued, "That shadow exists. Now you will learn to use it to stop chaos and destruction, to combat darkness instead of fomenting it. Every one pays a price for redemption, this is yours. You have no choice. You _will _be redeemed."

Eyes narrowed and nostrils flared as Ranma focused trying to fight back that fear enough to charge up a Moko Takabisha, "Or I could just blow those doors open and leave."

"I wouldn't do that," the voice advised.

Contrary, though, Ranma turned back towards the large doors and unleashed the Moko Takabisha, watching in satisfaction as it flew through the air towards the doors. Satisfaction turned to surprise and shock, however, when it simply bounced off the doors and came back towards him, blasting him down the other half of the hall when it hit and leaving him on the floor with his back against an altar at the far end of the hall from the doors.

The voice had a comment for that, "He who knows how could live comfortably in hell."

"Is that where I am?" Ranma groaned in pain from having his own attack turned back on him, "In hell?"

A young boy appeared, hovering above the altar in a seated lotus position, clothed in robes that matched the surroundings in their richness. He had narrow eyes, a wide nose and full lips on a face under a cleanly shaven skull. Leaning forward to look down at Ranma, he smiled lightly and spoke with the same voice that had tormented him since being thrown into the room...

"Not yet."


	5. Wild Horses and Family Trees

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 5 March.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and ...Honestly, I'm not sure who owns Tenchi Muyo anymore, really... each being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Wild Horses and Family Trees"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"The problem with family trees is that some are nut trees." - Anon.

* * *

-o0o-

Saotome Ranma found himself wondering how this had happened, how he had ended up being dragged to a shrine in the middle of nowhere like he was...

'Oh, right,' he thought, 'Mom showed up without warning, so I didn't have time to become 'Ranko' first, Pops was out with Mr. Tendo, so I couldn't escape when she decided I needed to go with her to visit her side of the family.'

He didn't have a problem with shrines; he'd visited tons of shrines, temples, dojos and places like that with his old man during their trip. He just wasn't sure he liked the idea of family; his old man had ruined his life and his mom would probably make him kill himself when she found out about his curse, he didn't want to think about what the rest of his family might be like. He hadn't ever considered this as a possibility, he'd never thought seriously that the insanity in Nerima was just following him, but first Jusenkyo and the Amazons, then Nerima and everything there and now the current situation.

'Maybe it _is_ me,' he thought, 'Maybe Akane's right and everything really is all my fault.'

His mom's brother-in-law was strange, he was supposed to be some kind of prince, but he kept a shrine; not that it bothered Ranma, at least since he was older and married it meant that he was one prince that wouldn't come looking for a bride that he'd end up saving Akane from for a change. His aunt, though, his mother's sister - she reminded him of Shampoo, kinda; right down to a weird hair color, he'd never seen anyone with that shade of bright cyan-blue hair before. She talked about being some kind of pirate, semi-reformed and -retired, which didn't really affect Ranma considering some of the people he had met. It was when they had asked him to go get his grandmother for lunch that things had gone crazy even by his generous standards.

The crab-shaped nameplate on the door was cute, different than the ducks that each of the Tendo sisters had on their bedroom doors, though Ranma had at first thought it was a little childish for someone so old her children had children of their own. Then he considered it a moment longer and decided that if his grandmother wanted to have a crab-shaped nameplate on her door, it was better than being an underwear thief and an old ghoul like the other two old people he knew. Ranma had opened the door and stepped through into a room that was way too big for the amount of space in the house. He took two steps forward only for the door to swing shut behind him and when he had tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. Calling out, he had started to look around the room at all the weird machines and computer-looking things while he tried to find his grandmother. After a few minutes, he had felt something behind him and before he could turn around everything went black. Which was why he now found himself in a situation that dealing with Kodachi had made him more used to than he'd like - waking up stripped to his boxers and bound to a table.

"Good morning!" A red-head that was even shorter than his cursed form chirped, "I'm Washu-chan and you must be Nodoka's little one - don't worry, I wouldn't do anything _permanent _to my daughter's only child."

Ranma looked around the room, the lab, down at the straps holding him to the table, then to Washu, "Uh... Granny..."

Suddenly, he felt like the time Ryoga had knocked him into a generator during one of their fights as the metal straps were electrified, shocking the pigtailed martial artist for a few seconds before the current cut off and left him laying there stunned.

"Uh-uh-uh," Washu wagged her finger at him, "We don't talk like that to the Cutest Scientist in the Universe, got it?"

A chibi-puppet version of Ranma's grandmother popped up over her left shoulder, "You're the greatest, Washu-chan!"

"And the cutest, too!" A second chibi-puppet added as it popped up over her right shoulder.

For the first time in years, Ranma's brain cell dedicated to analysing a situation and the brain cell for thinking about things not having to do with The Art met. To commemorate their encounter, they decided to have a little party in the pigtailed boy's cerebral cortex and by the time it was through, he had come to a stunning and frightening realisation that he couldn't keep himself from giving voice to...

"Oh, Kamis all," Ranma groaned in despair, "_I'm_ the normal one in the family!"

-o0o-

* * *

Furinkan High School,  
Nerima Ward,  
Six weeks later...

"Now, foul sorceror, prepare to meet thy doom!" Kuno's voice cut across the schoolyard.

"Geez, Kuno," Ranma rolled his eyes, "How much are you paying the Drama Club to write these lines for you?"

"Silence, cur! I strike!" Kuno stabbed out with his bokken, only for Ranma to leap over the kendoist, twist in midair and land on his feet facing the 'True Blunder' of Furinkan.

"Really, how many times have I beat you, Kuno? Yeah, every time, that's right," Ranma reminded him, only for a chibi-puppet of his male form to pop out over his right shoulder.

"He's really not that good, is he, Ranma-kun?" the puppet asked, only to be joined by a chibi-puppet of Ranma's female form appearing over the martial artist's left shoulder and answering the question.

"It doesn't matter how good Kuno is," the female form chibi-puppet commented, "Ranma-kun's the best!"

"He's the greatest!" male chibi-Ranma agreed.

"And so manly!" female-chibi Ranma added, causing the full-sized Ranma to groan.

'Why did Mom have to talk her into adding that to them?' he groaned. Really he did like 'Chibi-ma' and 'Chibi-ko', Chibi-puppets of his male and female forms based on Washu's own Chibi-Washus, a present from the 'Greatest and Cutest Scientist in The Universe' for over ten years of missed birthdays, but sometimes they just reminded him of the simple fact that his entire family was nuts.

"I liked him better before he got those things," Nabiki muttered from the window of a second floor classroom as Chibi-ma and Chibi-ko pulled a small table and pair of microphones out of nowhere and began commentating on the latest round of Ranma versus Kuno when the kendoist turned around and attacked again.


	6. Genetics At Its Finest

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 6 March.

Fairly large Author's Note at the end; good reading for anyone interested in the thought processes that were behind the creation of this story.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Genetics At Its Finest"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"This idea looked a lot better on paper," Nabiki muttered to herself as she walked carefully around puddles and pools, taking more than just great care to avoid stepping or falling into any of them.

It really had looked a lot better on paper. Business was based on certain concepts, among them the law of supply and demand - if supply is greater than demand then prices drop because people are less willing to pay more money for something; conversely, if demand is greater than supply then prices can go up because people will be willing to pay more for something that is harder to get. It was a simple concept and one that Nabiki had always used to great effect; she kept track of what was in supply and what was in demand and used it to turn small amounts of money into larger amounts; in some cases, such as the pictures of Akane and Ranma-chan, she even controlled the supply. Now it was time to branch out a little; there was a great demand in Nerima for a certain product and she intended to get her hands on a supply before anyone else could do it themselves. Tendo Nabiki intended to become Nerima Ward's primary distributor of water from the 'Spring of Drowned Boy'.

If she could ever find the blasted thing.

"You'd think that since he's the stupid guide to this place, that idiot would've found some way to re-map the springs when half the map was lost," she ranted, "But no, they just leave it incomplete and useless for only the Kami know how long. Really, does that idiot do anything besides tell people what spring they just fell in?"

Nabiki growled to herself as she lifted her GPS and looked at it before shoving it back in her pocket, "First, find spring; second, mark location; third, get some people out here to get the water... then I can hire someone to beat some sense into that stupid guide. Yeah, I like that 'to do' list..."

So caught up was Nabiki in her thoughts that she didn't notice the small black shape darting in front of her until she was already falling forward, arms pinwheeling until she landed with a splash face-first in one of the pools. Rolling onto her back and sitting up to spit out the mouthfull of water she had ended up with, Nabiki reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a small compact mirror that she had, looking to see what the damage was, knowing that even if she was still human something had to have happened unless it had been one of the rare 'blank' pools...

"What on Earth!"

She was still a girl, at least, but instead of looking like herself, she looked like a blend of her sisters with black hair and hazel eyes.

"Oh!" That insipid guide cried as he appeared out of nowhere too late to be of any help, just reinforcing Nabiki's opinion of his uselessness, "Ms. Customer fall in Spring of Drowned Girl, very tragic tale of girl who drown there many years ago. Now whoever fall in Spring take form of girl."

"I was already a girl, you twit!" Nabiki shouted at him.

"Girl who fall in Spring come out different, same if boy fall in Spring of Drowned Boy," the guide shrugged, "No one know why."

Nabiki clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes - a second identity could be useful, she was already having ideas, but her clothes were wet, her GPS was ruined and all that idiot guide could say was 'No one know why'... Cupping her hand, she scooped up a handful of water from the Spring, knowing exactly what she was going to do with it.

* * *

-o0O0o-

Author's Note: Everyone who has taken biology at some point is probably familiar with those cute little grids of genetics; the Punnett Square. For those that don't remember, a quick recap - a Punnett Square is a grid used to predict the possibility to traits being passed on to offspring, whether plant or animal - including humans. The traits of one catagory are listed across the top and go down, the traits of the other across the side and go over. Then you simply note down what the possible combinations are at each intersecting square. For a basic example, a black haired-blue eyed father and a brown haired-brown eyed mother would have black and brown across the top and blue and brown on the side. This results in a four square grid with black and blue, black and brown, brown and blue, and brown and brown. Of course, it can get more complex when you begin taking dominant and recessive genes into account, but that's the basic concept. Ranma-chan is generally accepted to be Ranma if he'd been born female, meaning that it's the same genetics and that the red hair and blue eyes are likely recessive genes from his parents.

Using that as the basis for hypothesis, I began to wonder; outside of certain specifications, the Jusenkyo Springs seem to operate using the cursed person's original form as a base - Shampoo's cat is still purple like her hair, P-Chan still has Ryoga's direction problem, Mousse's duck is still near-sighted, all just like when they're humans; and Kiima used a 'blank' spring to create 'Spring of Drowned Akane' to take her form which overwrites the 'Spring of Drowned Girl' she first used as a disguise because 'SoDA' is specific, 'SoDG' is generic, so it's safe to conclude there that Kiima's SoDG form is her as a 'normal' girl.

Recap so far;  
1. Jusenkyo seems to use a person's original form as a base to create their cursed form.  
2. Ranma-chan is possibly based on Ranma's recessive genes.  
3. Some pools are 'specific' cursed forms, others are 'generic'.

I then asked myself; 'What would happen if a girl fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl... would she _really_ be unaffected by it?' The story that you have just read is based on the conclusion I reached.


	7. WH and FT : Commentary

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 7 March.

Since Wonderbee asked, here is the fight between Ranma and Kuno with Chibi-ma and Chibi-ko commentating.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and ...Honestly, I'm not sure who owns Tenchi Muyo anymore, really... each being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

-o0O0o-

"Wild Horses and Family Trees"  
'Commentary'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

"Wrestling may be choreographed, but anyone who says its 'fake' has never been hit over the head with a steel chair." - Anon.

-o0o-

"It's a beautiful night for a fight here at Furiken Stadium, isn't it, Chibi-ma?" The female chibi-Ranma puppet sitting behind the table asked of her partner.

"It's early morning and this is a school, Chibi-ko," the male chibi-Ranma puppet shook his head, sometimes he thought Chibi-ko took after Ranma-kun's mother and Washu-chan a little too much.

Chibi-ko looked around at Ranma-kun and Kuno Tatewaki facing off, the large walls surrounding the area, the spectators, and frowned, "You're sure it's a school? The only thing missing is the vendors selling popcorn and drinks - unless you count Ucchan - it looks like some kind of stadium or arena to me."

Chibi-ma looked around like his partner had, then looked at her, "I hate it when you have a point."

"Hey, the fight's about to start - Stupid Kuno's even ranting about how the 'foul sorceror' trapped the 'Pig-Tailed Goddess's' soul in a doll, this might be a good one if he'll go all out over that," Chibi-ko commented.

"I don't know, Chibi-ko," Chibi-ma said, "Kuno's left arm looks like he's holding it kinda low - that kind of stance may hurt him in the later rounds."

"This is Kuno here, Chibi-ma," Chibi-ko countered, "I'm betting on a first round knock-out. Ask Nabiki if you don't believe me - I've got twenty-five hundred yen down on it."

"Sure, for the morning fight, but we all know he'll be back later in the day for another go," Chibi-ma reminded his partner.

"Not if Ranma-kun puts him in the school infirmary for the rest of the day," Chibi-ko pointed out, "Come on, Ranma-kun! Do it for me!"

Chibi-ma groaned and shook his head; Ranma-kun had looked at them to see what Chibi-ko was yelling about and ended up losing about two inches off of his hair to a slash from Kuno's bokken. The wooden practice sword itself never touched Ranma-kun, it was all air pressure. Kuno could do things like this and the tomboy thought she was a better martial artist, even than him? The only reason she ever won was because the Kendoist pulled his punches fighting her since his desires and his declaration were in conflict; he wanted to win to date the tomboy, but he never wanted to actually hurt her in the process. For all his 'unique' habits, Kuno probably understood restraint better than any of the other martial artists in Nerima, now that Chibi-ma thought about it, maybe even better than Ranma-kun since Kuno could restrain himself without it looking like he was mocking his opponent by not going all out. The fact that the tomboy never demanded Kuno fight her 'for real' like she did Ranma-kun was proof of that.

Turning his attention back to the fight, Chibi-ma was just in time to see Ranma-kun's idea of revenge for the haircut as he got Kuno in a headlock and...

"Oh, good gods!" Chibi-ma exclaimed in horrified shock, "There's gotta be a law against that!"

"Don't worry, Kuno," Chibi-ko added, "We're sure that somewhere out there is a girl who'll think that's a good look for you. If nothing else, there's always Azusa!"

"Now I'm _sure _there's a law against that," Chibi-ma remarked before shout at the kendoist, "Your father would be proud of you, Kuno!"

"Quick, somebody call Superman," Chibi-ko joked, "Lex Luthor's here now!"

The two chibi-puppets had a good laugh, even if most of the student body were still staring at Kuno standing there, looking at his hair laying on the ground around him after being on the recieving end of a Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken-noogie from his opponent.

"Five hundred yen on him calling Ranma-kun 'Foul Sorceror'," Chibi-ma commented to Chibi-ko.

"Nuh-uh," Chibi-ko shook her head, "It's gonna be 'Cur', I'll bet on it."

Kuno slowly reached up and patted his head with a hand before clenching his bokken tight and growling at Ranma-kun, "Disgraceful cur! How dare you defile the beauteous head of the noble scion of Kuno in such a way!"

"Pay up, sparky," Chibi-ko held her hand out to recieve the ten fifty-yen coins that Chibi-ma gave her.

Raising his bokken over his head, Kuno charged Ranma, only to recieve a swift kick to the jaw that sent him flying over the school building.

"And he's not The Heart-Break Kid, but Ranma-kun certainly played Kuno some sweet chin music today, folks," Chibi-ma announced, "It just goes to show that charging into battle with your sword raised and screaming just doesn't cut it anymore."

"Winners of today's 'Morning Matchup' betting pool, please remember to see Tendo Nabiki to collect your winnings," Chibi-ko continued, "And feel free to join us later for the Lunchtime Launchpad and the After-School Aftershocks!"

"For Chibi-ko and Ranma-kun, this is Chibi-ma saying... Good morning, now get to class!"

-o0O0o-

Author's Note; Yes, I was influenced somewhat by Jim "J.R." Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler, why do you ask?


	8. WH and FT : What It's All About

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. This is The 365 Project, 10 March.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and ...Honestly, I'm not sure who owns Tenchi Muyo anymore, really... each being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Wild Horses And Family Trees"  
'What It's All About'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

Nighttime in the Tendo house, a time of still peace and quiet tranquility... unless of course anyone happens to be home that night. When the house is occupied, it serves as a signal to the various crazies of Nerima Ward to converge on the location and go wild. Shampoo and Kodachi would show up to 'convince' Ranma of their claims, usually resulting in a fight between whichever one was there and Akane - or, on occasion, a three-way free-for-all fight - or Ryoga might decide it was time for Ranma to once again 'Prepare to die'; if Happosai was staying there for the night, then Taro might drop in to make another attempt to force the old man to change his name...

And Happosai was a problem in and of himself. He was a problem that drew in more problems, Taro wouldn't be a problem for the Tendo household - and their Saotome guests - if it weren't for Happosai being there in the first place. And Happosai himself wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for some of his more annoying habits; stealing underwear, groping females... and waking certain aqua-transexuals up in the middle of the night with buckets of ice-cold water to grope their female form, an action that can result in...

"Freakin' old pervert!" Ranma-chan snarled as she punched the ancient Grand Master of Anything Goes off of her chest and across the room.

"Nice punch, Ranma-kun!" Chibi-ma cheered as he and Chibi-ko appeared out of nowhere with their commentators' desk.

"Nice? Oh, come on!" Chibi-ko countered, "He hit an old man while the guy was distracted, that's the kind of thug act we should expect from Ryoga - not the reigning champ!"

"That's no old man, that's Happosai; how would you feel if he was groping you instead?"

"You should respect a man with that level of appreciation for the female form," Chibi-ko answered, "You've got to wonder why Cologne ever left him - I mean, it's not like we can't tell Shampoo's definitely his great-granddaughter, they've both got that same glomp."

"'Appreciation for the female form'... What the hell are you talking about, Chibi-ko?" Chibi-ma demanded to know.

"It's simple, Chibi-ma... There is a man who understands; It's all about the puppies," Chibi-ko announced, reaching for the hem of her shirt only to be stopped by her partner.

"Don't," Chibi-ma sighed, "We don't have the money to bribe Standards and Practices again."

"Who cares about them? These are beautiful and all-natural - perfectly in scale with Ranma-kun's own in female form," Chibi-ko reminded her partner, "You know what? They should be worshipped! Get down on your knees and genuflect!"

"Not this day," Chibi-ma shook his head, "Not this day or any other."

The door to the Saotome's room slammed open and a half-asleep and all-angry Nabiki stood there, looking for all the world like a vengeful goddess of war, "Now hear _this_: whether it is your little raids, Happosai; fiances and challengers for you, Ranma... or whatever stupid comments you two puppets make... if I do not get my beauty sleep, if I am now allowed to rest, I will go insane and I swear to the Kamis of Wealth and Cunning _that I will take you with me_! Are we _clear _on this?"

Two martial artists and two Chibi-puppets slowly nodded.

"Good," Nabiki smiled putting them all in mind of a cat at an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, "Well, good night, everyone - sleep tight."

As Nabiki softly shut the door behind her, Chibi-ko had a comment, "And still the reigning champion in the women's division; 'cause there's no technique or trick anyone else has that's half as scary as that smile..."


	9. Anything Goes Survival Matchmaking

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 11 March.

I moved a little over a year ago and still haven't completely unpacked everything - including my Ranma manga, so I apologise in advance if I have certain details of Shampoo's first appearance wrong. Ranma-chan uses Kuno as protection against Shampoo, resulting in Kuno getting the Amazon 'Wo ai ni, airen' treatment after he beats her. Probably the internet's first Kuno/Shampoo pairing...

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Anything Goes Survival Matchmaking"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"Sometimes the fastest way out is through the mud." - Dilbert.

* * *

-o0o-

As soon as Ranma finished his story of how Genma had eaten the prize for the Amazons' competition and Ranma as a girl had fought and defeated their champion to win the prize and instead ended up with a death sentence, Akane shook her head.

"Baka! That's what happens when you jump into a fight without knowing what's going on!"

Ranma looked at her in disbelief, "Look who's talkin', Tomboy, you do it all the time!"

"That's different," Akane huffed.

"Oh, yeah, why?"

"Because you're a pervert and you deserve whatever you get," the youngest Tendo snapped back.

"You know what, forget this," Ranma crouched down, "I'll get help from someone who can actually kick."

Before Akane could respond - most likely with force - Ranma had launched himself onto a nearby rooftop and started walking away on the roof, muttering to himself...

"She's such a... what's the word? It means someone who says and does two opposing things and it starts with an 'h'... Hypo-something... hypo... hypo... Hypocondriac, that's it, right?"

Ranma glanced up at the sky and repeated his question, "Right?"

* * *

-o0o-

Ranma could not believe he - could not believe she - was doing this, but she needed someone who would do what she asked to help her with no questions asked and no comments that might make the situation worse, and unfortunately she could only think of one person who would come to his female form's defense like that.

Unlike the family he was sworn to serve, Arashikage Sasuke was neither an idiot nor was he insane. He was also the one to open the front door of the Kuno manor when 'Ranma-chan' knocked.

"You're female, Saotome-san," Sasuke said simply.

Ranma growled at the ninja, "Unfortunately, I don't think the idiot you work for would listen if I showed up as a-"

"Sasuke!" Kuno Tatewaki's voice interrupted loudly, "How dare you dishonor the Pig-tailed Girl by making her wait at the door to the house of Kuno! Allow her entry into the home and presence of the great Blue Thunder!"

Both of the two at the door rolled their eyes at Kuno's love of purple prose, wondering why he couldn't just say 'Don't just stand there, let her in' instead of going through that whole long spiel. It only got worse when Sasuke escorted Ranma into the sitting room where Kuno waited.

"Oh, beautious pig-tailed girl," Kuno intoned, spreading his arms wide as she entered the room, "For too long, the foul sorceror Saotome has stood between our love; my heart bursts with joy to see you free from his clutches to come to the arms of your one true love!"

Ranma shook her head, "I can't, Kuno - I came for... I need help; there's someone after me, a Chinese Amazon that wants to kill me to get to Ranma. You're the only person I could think of turning to for protection."

"Honorless foreigner!" Kuno swore, "To seek the death of an innocent to strike at the foul sorceror, truely 'tis the act of a coward and a weak spirit. Fear not, my pig-tailed goddess, for from this moment until I have vanquished this evil assassin, consider yourself under the protection of the Blue Thunder of Furinken High; Kuno Tatewaki! Sasuke, my sword! To battle, then, to purge this darkness from our land!"

On his way out the door, Kuno took his bokken from Sasuke, leaving the ninja to stare at Ranma in confusion.

"What did you just do?"

"Everyone forgets one thing," Ranma reminded the ninja, "Anything Goes means... anything goes. Even setting two opponents up to fight each other for you."

* * *

-o0o-

Ignoring the pain in her head from being hit with the head of her own bonbori, Shampoo made her way to her feet and looked at the man who had defeated her, standing there with his wooden sword raised to the sky, and before he could react, she had already kissed him.

"Wo ai ni... Airen," Shampoo informed Kuno, who didn't have a clue what she was saying.

When he found out later, he would wish he hadn't. Especially after the day that his twisted sister and this violet-crowned vixen met and quickly became friends...


	10. Replacement

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 13 March.

Plenty of 'Replacement Ranma' stories out there, stories where for whatever reason the 'Ranma' that Genma brings to the Tendos' isn't the same Ranma he left Nodoka with, but what about a Replacement Akane story? Definitely a dark-Grey, if not full-on Dark Ranma.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Replacement"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"Never judge anyone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away and you have their shoes." - Anon.

* * *

-o0o-

"Wah! My baby's home!" Tendo Soun cried as he threw his arms around his youngest daughter, "Never do something like that again! Do you hear me? Never! If I lost you... WAH!"

"Oh, Daddy..." Akane glanced at her appearent fiancee who made a gesture, "Stop crying! It's not like I had a choice!"

Soun backed away and looked at her before bursting into another round of tears, "WAH! My little girl hates me!"

"Uh," Akane stumbled verbally, "Honestly! I'm going to my room."

The youngest Tendo took a step and stumbled physically, "You know what? Ranma! Take me to my room."

"Er..." Ranma scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Akane started to look angry, "You're not gonna make me walk up those stairs by myself in my condition, are you?"

"Er, sure thing, Akane," Ranma said before scooping the girl up in her arms and taking off up the stairs at a quick jog.

Once they had gotten to her room and Ranma had sat her down on her bed, Akane looked at him and sighed, "I don't think I can do this; why not just tell them that my almost dying in China caused me to lose my memory?"

"Yeah, right," Ranma groaned, "Then it's another round of 'Ranma, why didn't you protect your fiance?' and 'Marry her right now to make up for your failure'. I told you, neither of us want to be married anytime soon and that's what'll happen if our fathers think they've got any opening to work with."

Akane flopped backwards so that she was laying on her bed with her legs hanging off, "Can't we at least tell my sisters?"

Ranma thought about it as he took a seat on the floor with his back to the wall, "Kasumi maybe, but not Nabiki. She's the one that got the 'Hentai Horde' started at school by selling pictures of you."

Akane frowned, "The what?"

"Right, forgot that you forgot; Short story, a bunch of boys led by the captain of the kendo team that think because of something he said that if they can beat you in a fight, they'll get to date you."

"That's horrible!" Akane gasped, "Why didn't anyone stop it?"

"Bunch of reasons; Kuno's the principal's son, so the teachers let him get away with whatever he wants... You don't like anyone else fighting your fights for you... and when you started fighting back, a lot of people decided that meant you agreed to Kuno's 'beat her-date her' scheme, so they couldn't do anything about it anyway."

"I did that?" Akane groaned, "What kind of idiot am I?"

"You're not an idiot," Ranma jumped in to defend her, "You're just a violent maniac; attack first, find out what's going on... maybe."

"Ranma..." Akane growled.

"See!" Ranma smirked, "You're getting it now!"

Akane huffed, "I wish I could remember how to get my mallet, I'd use it on you."

Ranma smirked and shook his head, knowing that Akane would never 'remember' how to summon that stupid mallet since she wasn't Akane.

* * *

-o0o-

Before Leaving China...

"My friend," Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty greeted Ranma as he was shown into the hall, "My enemy... how shall I call you, Saotome?"

Ranma looked at Herb, "The Phoenix called me 'enemy', what do you think?"

Herb smiled and nodded imperiously, "Well, then, my friend, what brings you to the halls of the Musk? And with Tendo Akane unconscious, no less."

"This ain't Akane," Ranma looked at the girl in his arms in anger, "Akane's dead - this is one of the Phoenix that kidnapped Akane and got her killed. She's somehow got an Akane-cursed form like you and me got girl forms."

"Not all of the 'Cursed Springs' carry a curse," Herb said to himself, "Some carry only the magic, yet if something or someone were to be drowned in them... I see."

"If you see, then you can guess why I'm here," Ranma remarked.

"You seek to use the Preservation Ladle for... shall we say, karmic retribution? What the Westerners would call 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life'," Herb answered.

"And what if I am?" Ranma demanded.

Herb looked at him, "Even without their body, the mind of a member of the Phoenix is a dangerous weapon."

"That's why my next stop is the Amazon village for some of that forgetfulness shampoo of theirs," Ranma informed his fellow 'Spring of Drowned Girl'-cursed male, "Figure after beating Saffron and saving them from being destroyed they owe me that much."

"If my memory is certain, you have one of the Amazons claiming you already, are you sure walking into their stronghold is a wise idea?" Herb asked.

Ranma looked at him and narrowed his eyes, "Depends."

"On what does it depend?"

"On whether or not they want their precious 'Amazon history' to reach four thousand years old or if they want you and the Musk to be the only one of the three powers left around here," Ranma answered coldly, "I owe Saffron for teaching me something; after the first time, it becomes a lot easier to be willing to kill. If they try to enforce that Kiss of Marriage of Shampoo's, try to keep me in their village, kill 'Akane' or anything else, they'll become an obstacle and you know what they think about obstacles."

Having lived near the Amazons all his life, Herb was well aware of what they thought, "Obstacles are to be removed."

"I figure if that's the game they want to play, I'm in the mood for it," Ranma's chuckle had a surprising - and somewhat frightening - level of cruelty in it, "One way or another, I'm putting an end to all of this madness. After all, Shampoo can't take me back to her village if her village doesn't exist anymore, so it'll be better for them to end her claim, safer for them..."

Suddenly Herb now know what some meant when they spoke of how it was better to be by the devil's side rather than in his path.


	11. Splashback

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 18 March.

Soun and Genma get ahold of water from 'Spring of Drowned Loving Couple' and try to splash Ranma and Akane with it, only for yet-another of their 'get the kids married' schemes to backfire on them. ...Can A Plan Backfire If It Involves Water?

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. Includes a couple small references to other sources.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Splashback"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"Then their hands touched and their lips met as the raging river pulled them down, now they'll always be together in their happy hunting ground." - 'Running Bear', Sonny James.

* * *

-o0o-

Tendo Nabiki had once been introduced to a saying that explained the difference between being wise, being smart and being a fool. It had said that a wise person learns from the mistakes of others, a smart person learns from their own mistakes, and a fool never learns. She had quickly come to realise that, by that definition, most of the more prominent people in Nerima - including her own father - were fools. Half the girls in the area still thought that trying to bludgeon each other or trying to drug him would get Saotome Ranma interested in them; half the boys still blamed him for everything that went wrong in their lives from a rainy day activating any Jusenkyo curse they might have to Giants outfielder 'Kamikaze' Tanaka knocking himself out instead of catching a ball again... And Tendo Soun - father of Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane - and Saotome Genma - father of Ranma - still thought the stupid plans they came up with would result in their precious 'joining of the school' that seemed to be all that mattered to them.

Of course, Nabiki knew, it wasn't like anyone was completely innocent; Ranma still thought life revolved around 'The Art', Akane still thought she was one of the best martial artists around - despite discovering that she only ever beat Kuno Tatewaki before because the kendoist held back in their fights, Doctor Ono Tofu still couldn't control himself around Kasumi and Nabiki's older sister still had no grasp of the concept of subtlety and took everything at essentially face value. For her own part, Nabiki still loved being smarter than everyone else and having the money to prove it, she wasn't a saint after all.

Nabiki snuggled back against her fiance and smirked to herself as she felt his body react to her's.

'Definitely not a saint,' she thought to herself as her mind drifted back in time...

* * *

-o0o-

Speaking of stupid plans of the fathers, that was how it started. After the debacle that was the Failed Wedding - typically discribed with capital letters as most people know what was being discussed when it was spoken of - and the cask of water from the 'Spring of Drowned Boy', They had been forced to come up with a new plan to 'unite the families' and 'join the schools'. Unfortunately, they easily fell under the 'fools never learn' catagory, especially Genma who hadn't figured out that his 'Saotome Sunrise Surprise Attack' didn't do more than make Ranma that much angrier with the part-time panda, so instead of coming up with a 'new' plan, they merely decided to adapt an old one and expect it to work. Never a reasonable expectation when the plan involves Jusenkyo water, but just the kind of thing that should be expected when one of the two 'masterminds' is the same person who considered a 'Training Ground of Cursed Springs' to be a good place to visit and then knocked someone else into one of the 'Pools of Sorrow' there _after _they themselves had already been cursed to turn into a panda. Their plan was based on a mysteriously acquired cask of water from the 'Spring of Drowned Loving Couple' - very tragic story of young couple drowned there one thousand five hundred year ago in attempt to escape feuding tribes who would never let their love be - and splashing both of their 'wayward children' with it at the same time. The fathers' theory was that by splashing Akane and Ranma at the same time once they were seated at the table - before Kasumi brought the food in, of course, as they had no intention of doing anything that would get in the way of their dinner - the water would turn them into the 'Loving Couple' for which it was named. When they went to put their plan into action, however, another old saying intervened; 'No plan survives first contact with the enemy'.

Normally the arrangement of seating at the dinner table had the two Saotomes on one side and the Tendos at the ends and other side in descending age with Soun at one end, Kasumi and Nabiki on the side and Akane at the other end. In the name of quiet, sanity and maybe even being able to eat a whole meal in peace for once, however, when P-Chan had shown up trotting into the house before hopping into Akane's arms, Nabiki had moved Ranma to sit next to her and put herself between the violent maniac, the blockheaded martial artist and the perverted pig to keep a fight from breaking out. It also put the bobbed brunette in a perfect position to lab Ranma in the leg with her chopsticks every time he started to make a remark that might set P-Chan or Akane off.

The first time, Ranma had yelped, causing Nabiki to give him an innocent look and ask if anything was wrong. The second and third times, he'd looked at her as though he weren't sure if it were her or not, but by the fourth time he started to say something, Nabiki had only had to pick up her chopsticks from where they lay waiting for dinner to be served for Ranma to shake his head and stop talking.

'So, he can be trained after all,' Nabiki had thought to herself, smirking, 'I might just get to enjoy a quiet dinner for the first time in months.'

'Come on, Nabs, why do you gotta keep poking me for tryin' to warn that tomboy about her 'pet'?' Ranma had mentally complained.

'Looks like Nabiki is poking him with her chopsticks,' Akane observed, 'Good, he probably deserves it for whatever perversion he's planning, sitting next to her like that.'

'Ranma, you bastard, how dare you cheat on Akane with her sister!' Ryoga - that is, P-Chan - tried to shout angrily, but it only came out of the piglet's mouth as "Bwee, bwe-bwee, bwee-bwe-bwee-bwee-bwe-bwe-bwee!"

Nabiki reached for her chopsticks and Ranma clenched his teeth, but it was Ryoga that she gave a warning look to as if to say for him not to make another sound and disturb her peace and quiet at dinner or else she might be having a Western style breakfast with plenty of sausage and bacon tomorrow.

It was this situation which Soun and Genma failed to discover by checking the room before launching their plan - and the contents of the cask of water - with a shout of what sometimes seemed to be their own personal battlecry;

"The Schools will be joined!" Soun announced as he flung open the door so that Genma - in panda form - could display a sign that read 'The future of Anything Goes will be secure!'

Ranma didn't get a chance to shout what was on his mind - that being to demand what the aforementioned paternal idiots were up to this time - before he saw what seemed like a tidal wave coming at him in midair. His reaction was instinctive based on experience of what would happen if he came in contact with water and numerous times being the subject of attack with weapons ranging from chains and bicycles to mallets and pandas - he rolled to the side behind the nearest protection; Nabiki. The other target didn't know what was happening either, but a close call with 'Spring of Drowned Duck' water had made Akane suspicious of water that she didn't know the origins of; instinctively, she too sought the only protection she could find - holding P-Chan up before her and hoping that her would manage to block the water from hitting her. These choices would end up having a devastating effect on the fathers' plan...

* * *

-o0o-

Back in the present day, Nabiki's quiet chuckling attracted her fiance's attention.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout, Nabs?" Ranma asked softly.

"The little things," she answered, "Like our fathers not bothering to look first before tossing that water; you diving behind me for protection... the fact that the water being cold and making you a girl when it hit or Ryoga being a pig didn't stop us from falling in love with the two of you anyway..."

Now Ranma started to chuckle, "I thought your old man was gonna flip and end up killing mine when it looked like they'd caused his 'little girl' to fall in love with a pig."

"Probably a good thing he didn't," Nabiki remarked, "Pandas are an endangered species."

"Yeah, endangered by swords," Ranma joked, "Mom was so close to killing him if you hadn't said anything... why'dja have to go and do that for, anyway?"

"As much as it might have been warranted," Nabiki pointed out, "Auntie... Mom would still have been sent to jail for killing him; I want our children to at least have one half-way sane grandparent around that we can leave them with to get some alone time when that time comes."

"What about Kasumi?"

"Not until she gets laid," Nabiki answered deadpan, "And Akane's out because I wouldn't want them wandering off and getting lost."

"Hey, it's not that bad," Ranma defended his future sister-in-law, "Now that she's traveling with Ryoga and out of Nerima she's not so stuck on how she was the best in Nerima and all the new styles she's learning in different countries are really helping her grow in The Art."

As said before, Ranma still thought life revolved mostly around The Art.

"Talking about my sister like that," Nabiki snorted with a gleam in her eye that Ranma couldn't see from his position behind her, "I think you owe me something for that."

Ranma moved his hand and placed it on Nabiki's side, "What can I do to make it up to you, Nabs?"

Nabiki reached back and pulled Ranma's hand around to her stomach, "I'm sure I can think of something..."


	12. The Amazon Champion

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 19 March.

I can never remember the exact Japanese or Chinese for what Shampoo's people are called, but I know it translates out as 'Tribe of Woman Warriors' or something along those lines and is usually simplified as 'Chinese Amazons'. Now, like a lot of people, when I hear 'Amazons', the ones I think of are more Greco-Roman than Chinese and that got me thinking... If you've read my Love Hina short featuring Keitaro becoming Green Lantern, you've probably got an idea where those thoughts led me by this point...

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. Wonder Woman is the property of DC Comics and is used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"The Amazon Champion"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

In the middle of the village, Xian Pu knelt before the Matriarch, secretly glad for all that had occurred with the Phoenix people and Saffron's attempted ascension to godhood. The Elders had declared her Airen free of all obligations owed the Tribe by Kiss of Marriage or Kiss of Death, seeking to avoid giving him a reason to turn the power that had defeated Saffron in their direction. In doing so, they had also freed Xian Pu to take up her own destiny by freeing her from having to kill girl-Ranma and marry male-Ranma because of the Kisses she had given in Airen in each form.

"The history of our people begins at a distant time in a far away place," the Matriarch spoke ceremonially, "Pursued by enemies and greatly outnumbered, our foremothers looked to the Heavens for help and were answered by the Goddess of War and the Queen of the Gods. In exchange for their loyalty and a promise, they picked up our foremothers and placed them far beyond the reach of any of their enemies, here on the other side of the world. To honor their oath, our people have trained in the ways of War since and fought bravely against new enemies sent us to test our resolve. Now the time has come to fulfill the promise made those thousands of years ago to the Goddess of War and the Queen of the Gods by our foremothers and once more carry their names and our ways out into the world that has forgotten them."

"You, Xian Pu, daughter of Da-xia, daughter of Rong Wing, daughter of Ku Lon, descended of Amytis; despite the curse you bear, you have been chosen to be the champion of our Goddesses and our messenger to the outside world. To aid you in this quest, you will be given certain gifts. You have already recieved the battle garb blessed by our patron Goddesses, now you will recieve the others..."

One of the other Elders stepped forward and placed a gold circlet around Xian Pu's head while the Matriarch spoke.

"As the Goddess of War is also the Goddess of Wisdom, so may this tiara bring you wisdom in times of combat."

While the first Elder stepped back, another stepped forward and placed a pair of silver bracers around Xian Pu's wrists.

"The Queen of the Gods is our protectress," the Matriarch intoned, "Honor her with these indestructible bracers to protect you from harm."

The second Elder switched positions with a third, who strapped a golden girdle around Xian Pu's waist.

"The first Matriarch of our people wore this magic girdle," the Matriach explained, "Gifted to her by the ancient Gods before being stolen by the accursed half-god whose name shall not be spoken, reclaimed by the Goddesses and returned to our people when we were brought to this place. Now you shall wear it to bring you strength as our champion."

A fourth and final Elder came forward and took the third's place, tucking a looped robe of shining gold into the girdle that Xian Pu now wore.

"The Goddess of The Hunt came to our aid later and it is in her honor that any man who wishes our bodies must prove himself to us as the Great Archer proved himself to the Goddess of The Hunt," The Matriarch recalled their people's history and traditions, "One hunts not only with bow and staff, but with cunning to snare one's prey. This Golden Lasso shall be a snare to your enemies; unbreakable and enchanted to bring forth truth from the lies. Now rise, Xian Pu, and take your place as Champion of our people."

At the Matriarch's command, Xian Pu rose, bowed to the Matriarch and each of the four Elders in turn before turning to face her people and bowing to them, causing applause to break out among the villagers and echo in the valley.

"Come with me, Champion," the Matriarch said, drawing Xian Pu's attention back to her and gesturing for the younger woman to follow her to the Matriarch's hut, "There are things of which we must speak."

As soon as they were in the Matriarch's hut and alone, Xian Pu dropped from her native Chinese into the pidgin-Japanese she had grown accustomed to speaking and tugged on the 'battle garb' she wore, "Great-grandmother, Shampoo no have problem being champion, wait for this day long time. But why Shampoo have to wear silly swimsuit to be champion?"

* * *

-o0O0o-

Author's Notes: I chose the names for Xian Pu/Shampoo's foremothers using an internet name site, Da-xia is a Chinese name which means 'Big Hero', Rong Wing is a combination of two Chinese names that together means 'Martial Glory', Amytis is a Greek name meaning 'Amythyst' - something I thought appropriate considering Shampoo's purple hair.


	13. WH and FT - No Holds Barred

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. This is The 365 Project, 20 March.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and ...Honestly, I'm not sure who owns Tenchi Muyo anymore, really... each being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

-o0O0o-

"Wild Horses And Family Trees"  
'No Holds Barred'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

The sight had become commonplace in Nerima, Saotome Ranma would be targeted by a fiance or rival and they would appear; one-eighth his size and looking respectively like his natural-male and curse-based-female forms, bringing with them chairs and a table, providing in-depth commentary on whatever fight was happening and known by the names of 'Chibi-ma' and 'Chibi-ko' The only explanation anyone was ever able to get out of Ranma were mutterings about his grandmother being a genius and he was the only sane person in his family. Some people enjoyed the commentaries, some people thought they were just another drop of stupidity and insanity in the bucket, and some people became offended by them, but the closest anyone had come to stopping them had been a threat by Nabiki during a late-night fight between Ranma and Happosai that had gotten too loud between the commentary and the actual fight for her to sleep through it. The idea that Chibi-ko, the female chibi-Ranma puppet, had actually been supporting Happosai in the fight was one that no one wanted to think too hard about. Chibi-ma had suggested afterwards that his 'sister' took a little too much after the females on Nodoka's side of the family; that is Ranma-kun's mother herself, his aunt, and as well the Cutest Scientist in the Universe that had created the chibi-puppets. No one who had met any of them had seen fit to argue the point.

Probably the denizens of Nerima most welcoming to the chibi-puppets were the local food carts; where before people had vacated areas whenever Ranma and any rivals or fiances were present at the same time, with the arrival of the chibi-Ranma puppets, some brave souls actually stuck around to listen to their commentary and the food cart vendors had quickly discovered that these brave souls often desired refreshments when the fights took time. That day's apparent match-up was the kind that did good business for the food carts; the reigning champion of the Nerima Wrecking Crew - Ranma himself - was being challenged by the Chinese master of hidden weapons - Mousse.

Without any kind announcer or referee - no one was _that _brave... or stupid - it was Chibi-ko who decided to start things off, "This is a no-holds-barred match-"

"Wait a second," Chibi-ma interrupted, "Ranma-kun practices Anything Goes Martial Arts... _Every_ match is technically a no-holds-barred match."

"As I was saying, this is a no-holds-barred match, weapons are not only permitted, they're encouraged - I want to see steel chairs to the face and some two-by-fours getting busted over people's heads, folks!"

"Ranma-kun doesn't _use _weapons," Chibi-ma reminded his partner.

"Well, hold on a minute, then," Chibi-ko frowned, "If Ranma-kun doesn't use weapons, does he really practice _Anything _Goes or is it just '_Almost _Anything Goes'?"

Chibi-ma rolled his eyes, "I don't know, -ko. Why don't you ask your friend Happosai since he founded the style?"

"Come on, what have you got against Happosai?"

"He's a pervert and a panty-thief," Chibi-ma accused, "I don't see how someone who's supposed to technically be female can support him."

"Hey, humanity would never have survived if it wasn't for the perverts," Chibi-ko countered, "They all called Kinsey a pervert, but if it weren't for him, we'd all still be stuck in-"

"_Don't_ finish that sentence!" Chibi-ma shouted, "Seriously, I'm starting to think you want us to get in trouble!"

"Ranma-kun's opponent is a guy whose secret weapon is a toddler's toilet training potty," Chibi-ko pointed out, "And he throws it at people. Between that and Nabiki's idea of amatuer photography, I'm a saint! Ranma-kun never sees a sen from those pictures you know. In fact; you know what? Somebody call a lawyer, I say he should license his image and sue for back royalties!"

Ten feet away, Ranma and Mousse hadn't actually begun to fight after Mousse had launched his traditional chain-based opening move and Ranma had dodged. Instead, the Chinese male stared in confusion at the chibi-Ranma puppets and shook his head.

"Are those things always that... vocal?" he finally found the words to ask.

Ranma groaned, "You have no idea; it's like if my life wasn't already crazy enough, it now gets a pair of arguing narrators. My grandmom had to be nuts to build those things... especially with her having her own set of them already..."


	14. WH and FT : Royal Rumble

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. This is The 365 Project, 22 March.

If you like music while you're reading, I recommend Lemon Demon's "Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny". It just kept playing in my head while I wrote parts of this.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and ...Honestly, I'm not sure who owns Tenchi Muyo anymore, really... each being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Wild Horses And Family Trees"  
'Royal Rumble'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"Let's get it on!" - Mills Lane, 'Celebrity Deathmatch'.

* * *

-o0o-

It was a normal, sunny day in Nerima; which is to say that all hell was breaking loose, because without the rain to drive the Jusenkyo-cursed indoors there were no limits to the insanity that could happen. On rainy days, ducks could chase cats, piglets could attack pig-tailed girls, and sometimes even creatures that looked like they belonged in a Minoan labyrinth could show up and start fighting geriatric panty-thieves. Sunny days were much worse. Sunny days, in their own ways, were worse than 'dark and stormy' nights for being a prelude to trouble, because everyone expects bad things to happen on 'dark and stormy' nights, but they unconsciously relax and let their guards down on warm, dry, sunny days, leaving them wide open for things to get...

Interesting.

If such a word could be used to describe the current situation in the streets of Nerima without it being considered a massive understatement. Except for the so-called 'adults' and Pantyhose Taro, it seemed as though anyone that might be considered a 'member in 'good' standing' of the Nerima Wrecking Crew had ended up involved in a brawl-for-it-all in the middle of the neighborhood. No one would ever be sure in the aftermath how it started, but it's almost certain that cries of "Ranma, prepare to die!" were involved. Even fighters that rarely matched up against each other were facing off; Shampoo had attacked Akane with her trademark battlecry of "Obstacles are for killing!" only for Kuno to come to the defense of his 'Fierce Tigeress' against the 'Chinese Assassin', resulting in Mousse launching a counter-offensive against the 'Noble Scion of Kuno' for daring to harm 'his' Shampoo; Konatsu and Sasuke were pitted against each other in an epic battle of ninja skill when the cross-dressing 'kunoichi' defended Ukyo against Kodachi only to be confronted by the Kunos' shinobi retainer; and some fights were to be expected, like Akane and Ryoga both attacking Ranma for their usual reasons, 'seeing hell' and 'Stop picking on poor Ryoga'.

And on the sidelines, miniturised versions of Ranma's two forms - Chibi-puppets created by his grandmother 'The Greatest and Cutest Scientist in The Universe' - sat behind a fold-up table with microphones on it, giving anyone who wanted to listen the play-by-play of the day.

The male Chibi-puppet shook his head, "Kuno, Ryoga, Mousse, Kodachi, Shampoo, Ukyo, Akane, the list goes on; everybody seems to be getting in on this fight..."

"Holy Hannah, you know what this means, Chibi-ma?" The female puppet announced excitedly, "We've got an unscheduled Survivor Series breaking out here, folks!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"It's either a Survivor Series or Royal Rumble here, Chibi-ma; either way, it's gonna be a real slobber-knocker of a fight!"

"Sometimes, I really wonder about you, Chibi-ko..."

"Don't 'wonder' too far, you might get lost," Chibi-ko informed her partner, only for them to seconds later have to throw themselves to the sides as a previously airborne Mousse came crashing down on their table, helped on his way by Kodachi's ribbon, and broke it in two.

"Oh, that's it, I'm putting these kids down," Chibi-ko cracked her knuckles and stood up, "No one disrespects the Queen like this."

Chibi-ma shook his head, muttering to himself, "At least she isn't demanding that we call her 'Princess' - one of those is enough for the entire galaxy."

Kuno was the first to notice Chibi-ko's entry into the actual fight and reached the same conclusion he had ever since the first time the female Chibi-puppet had appeared in Nerima.

"Forsooth, fair pig-tailed maiden!" the delusional kendoist announced, turning his attention from his latest 'challenge' to date Akane, "For I shall defeat the foul sorceror Saotome and in doing so force him to free your soul from this doll in which he has imprisoned you! Thus says the Blue Thunder!"

"Kuno-baby," Chibi-ko borrowed Nabiki's usual term of address for the upperclassman with a smirk on her face as she closed in on him, "I could just _flip _over that."

There's a lot of sayings about size; 'big things come in small packages', 'it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog', 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'... Chibi-ko proved there was plenty of truth in them when she threw herself into a backflip, using the motion and momentum to catch Kuno in a certain area with enough force to knock him a few inches into the air before he fell backwards onto the ground, cringing in pain.

"Such betrayal..." Kuno whimpered.

"Stupid little chibi-thing," Akane snarled as she summoned her mallet, "Who said you could interfere in my fight!"

When Akane swung her mallet intending to smash Chibi-ko, it was a mistake. It was a mistake born of foolish assumption; Akane assumed that because Chibi-ko - and Chibi-ma, for that matter - looked like Ranma, she would react the same as Ranma did and simply let the violent maniac hit her. It was a mistake because Ranma had been raised by Genma, but Chibi-ko had been based on Ranma with additions to her personality from Nodoka, Ryoko and of course Washu-chan that meant she did not always handle things the same way her Ranma-kun would. In this case, she had no intention of letting Akane just hit her and certainly none of letting the attack go unanswered.

Instead, Chibi-ko rolled to the side away from the mallet and then launched herself towards Akane before the mallet's wielder could recover from her swing. With her arm out to the side, Chibi-ko caught Akane by surprise with a lariat, but instead of knocking her opponent backwards, Chibi-ko ended up swinging around Akane's neck back to her front side and twisting so that she could lock her legs on either side of Akane's head and neck before using Akane's over-reached position and her's own momentum to send the youngest Tendo flying face-first into the ground five feet away.

"And Chibi-ko introduces Akane's face to the ground with a devastating 'HurricanRanma'," Chibi-ma announced after pulling his microphone from the ruined pile of table and martial artist., causing Mousse to frown at the chibi puppet.

"Shouldn't that be Hurricanrana'?" The male Chinese Amazon asked from his prone position, having decided it safer just to 'play dead'.

"Have you forgotten we're chibi-Ranmas?" Chibi-ma pointed out sarcastically.

"Where does he keep you, anyway?" Mousse wondered as Chibi-ko stood up and cracked her neck, making a comment to Akane that neither he nor Chibi-ma could make out from their location.

"That's none of your business, alright," Chibi-ma snapped, just before seeing one of the fighters coming up on his 'sister' from behind, "Excuse me..."

Sasuke had managed to best Konatsu and now had his ninja-to raised to strike at Chibi-ko when he found out that 'pick on someone your own size' works just as well on short people after Chibi-ma tapped him on the shoulder, waited for him to turn, then gave him a knee to face special. As the ninja dropped groaning to the grounds, Chibi-ko turned around and looked at her 'brother'.

"I'd have had him if you'd've given me one more minute," she snorted.

"Yeah, and there's also a saying about frogs having wings," Chibi-ma pointed out.

"Oh-hohoho!" The 'Black Rose' announced her presence as she lept over other combatants to land before the two Chibi-puppets, "You'd dare to defile the face of my beloved by siding with this miniature harridan to assault my retainer?"

Chibi-ko looked at Chibi-ma and flatly asked a question, "'Blue Thunder', 'Black Rose', so does this mean when I kick her ass I'll have beaten the Kunos black and blue?"

Chibi-ma groaned, "That was bad, 'Ko, that was bad."

"Hoho!" Kodachi laughed, "Unlike my foolish brother, you'll find I'm not so easily defeated!"

Chibi-ma looked at Chibi-ko and cocked his head to the side, "Double-whammy?"

Chibi-ko gave a sharp nod, "You're on!"

Chibi-ko ran towards Chibi-ma, who knit his fingers together to form a cradle that Chibi-ko stepped in as he turned and tossed her into the air, up and over Kodachi, only to put out her feet and 'land' on and kick back off from an airborne Ryoga - coincidently, throwing him off from launching his 'rain of bandannas' attack that had once cost Akane her long hair - to come flying back towards Kodachi. While Chibi-ko was in the air, Chibi-ma was on the ground, running towards Kodachi until he did a half-flip followed by a handspring into a torpedo kick that took the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnast in the stomach at the same time as his 'sister' caught her from behind with Chibi-ko's second lariat of the fight, causing Kodachi's weight to shift sending her face first into the ground with Chibi-ko on top of her as Chibi-ma tucked and rolled out from underneath.

"Why, you little..." Kodachi spat out dirt as the Chibis made their ways to opposite sides of her head and as soon as she had lifted her body up off the ground, they caught the female Kuno's head in between two kicks from opposing sides - essentially 'boxing her ears' with their feet - which was one blow too much and caused her to collapse back to the ground unconscious.

"Ranma-kun's a good man, he's got a good heart," Chibi-ma said to the unconscious Kuno girl, "He doesn't hit girls..."

Chibi-ko tugged on her own mini-version of Ranma-kun's Chinese-style shirt, "That's what he's got me for now."

Ranma-kun himself would have tried to stop what happened next, but by the time he had finished putting Ryoga down for the count and turned his attention to the other standing combatants, it was already too late, pride had carried too far and Ukyo and Shampoo had called a truce with each other and were instead standing side-by-side glaring at Ranma's chibi-puppets.

"You're not getting us like that, and I'm going to enjoy taking you puppets apart," Ukyo pronounced, "I don't know what his grandmother's problem is, but I'm the only girl Ranma-honey needs in his life, got it?"

"Shampoo think Spatula-Girl think crazy things," Shampoo did something that would have made Happosai very happy - if he wasn't her Great-Grandfather - to make sure everyone's attention was focused where she wanted it, on her figure, "This all woman Airen needs, not too-too-flat chested crossdresser."

"Give them five minutes and they'll be back fighting each other," Chibi-ma joked.

"Give me two minutes," Chibi-ko growled, "And they'll be too unconscious to fight anyone."

"Just try it," Ukyo snarled, tightening her grip on her battle spatula before lunging forward towards the Chibi-puppets.

"No! Ucchan, don't!" Ranma shouted, but it was too late...

* * *

-o0o-

Two and a half minutes later, standing over a defeated duo of Ukyo and Shampoo, Chibi-ma raised Chibi-ko's hand into the air, "The winners - and still Tag Team Champions of the Nerima Wrecking Crew..."

"Chibified!" Chibi-ko announced loudly.

Ranma stared at them, not sure what to think, then finally he muttered, "Granny... what have you created?"

* * *

-o0O0o-

Author's Note: Unless something changes, I think this may be my last 'Chibi-Ranma puppets' story for a bit, not as many ideas for them are sparking. Though it has helped me notice that I seem to do better writing fight scenes with a wrestling influence to them... Something to keep in mind, I suppose.


	15. SMH - Returning

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. This is The 365 Project, 23 March.

Yeah, it's short.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and "The Shadow" of Smith & Street Publications, as written by 'Maxwell Grant', each being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit.

-o0O0o-

"Shadows of Men and of Horses"  
'Returning'  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

Saotome Ranma took a deep breath of the air, smelling the sharp tang of human industry that he'd been away from for the last five years. Five years of learning all that the Tulku had to teach him, all the things he had taken for granted growing up in a life focused only on The Art, learning how to live, how to let live, how to laugh, how to cry, how to dream, how to forget and a thousand other things of which many couldn't be put into words. He could of spent his entire 'second' lifetime learning from the Tulku and the monks of The Temple of The Cobras and it still wouldn't have been enough for the man who had recently seen his twenty-first birthday come and go. Just as it had been time, the Tulku had said, for Ranma to go; time for the training Genma had given his body and that which the Tulku had given his mind to be put to use for something greater than merely becoming 'a man among men'.

Smiling, the Japanese man slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out into Tokyo. Since he had no intention of returning to Nerima and the whims of others, his first goal would be to find a place to stay...


	16. Nerima Justice

Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental _multi-fandom_ project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. For more details, see the relevent section in my profile. This is The 365 Project, 25 March.

It seems I have to post a reminder, once again, that The 365 Project is _not _limited to a single fandom and so any 'missing' days in one fandom probably means I was writing in another fandom on those days. While I've come close a couple times, I haven't missed a day yet and I plan on doing my best to keep that record.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi and is being used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. The basic story idea is borrowed from an episode of "Red Dwarf", specifically Series 4's 'Justice'.

* * *

-o0O0o-

"Nerima Justice"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

* * *

"Laws change, depending on who's making them. But Justice is Justice." - Odo, 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'.

* * *

-o0o-

It started the way many things in the Nerima Ward of Tokyo did; with someone blaming their problems on one Saotome Ranma. It hadn't been Hibiki Ryoga's intention to end up in the attic of the Tendo house, he'd actually been trying to find his way to Okinawa for a Watermelon Festival when his family's directional curse had kicked in again. That curse, ironically enough, was the one thing in Ryoga's life that he _didn't_ blame on Ranma, instead blaming his parents who had passed it down to him. With the sounds of thunder crashing and rain beating against the roof, Ryoga didn't fancy trying to leave and possibly ending up in a downpour, so he instead pushed a short stack of boxes to one side and an old steamer trunk to the other to clear a space on the floor for him to put his bedroll for the night. He never intended to find the loose scroll in the attic detailing the ritual 'to create a barrier in which no injustice could be done', as it claimed, but when he did, the chance to finally have his revenge for all the injustices heaped upon him and his dear Akane by the pig-tailed boy was too great to allow to pass; especially since with the storm, the contents of his massive travelling pack and the fact that he knew where Ranma was, he had everything needed for the ritual.

Ryoga chuckled madly, "Ranma, because of you, I've seen Hell! Now prepare to see Hell yourself for all you have done!"

It was ironic or fortunate that at that moment, a flash of lightning illuminated the night sky and the following crack of thunder drowned out the laughter of 'Eternally Lost Boy'. A boy who made one simple mistake; because the ritual ended at the bottom of the scroll, Ryoga never flipped it over and so missed the warning written on the back that _any _injustice, no matter to whom it would be directed, would instead be returned to the person attempting to cause it.

* * *

-o0o-

When morning came, it came with sun as though the storm of the previous night hadn't happened, and with it bringing a return to the normal character of things in Nerima, perhaps better phrased a return to 'the normal character of things _for_ Nerima' as they would likely be considered decidedly abnormal elsewhere. After all, it's not like any other short-tempered violent girls routinely send the boys they're supposed to like into the stratosphere for percieved and unverified offenses, right? Either way, this is Nerima, it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new chance for success by Saotome Genma with the 'Saotome Sunrise Surprise Attack'.

Although, if it's performed at the same time every day, how one can call it a 'Surprise Attack' is questionable.

Ranma felt the impact of the water on him and it woke him up. Jumping to his feet, he looked down at himself and noticed that he was both male and dry, not a common occurence after having a bucket of water dumped on him. Then he turned his attention to the culprit and laughed.

"Whatsa matter, Pops?" Ranma asked, "Get yourself while you were at it?"

The irate and soaking panda quickly retorted by pulling out a sign blazoned with one of his personal favorite complaints, 'What have I done to deserve such a disgraceful son?'

We'll pause a moment for readers to appreciate the irony of said part-time panda calling someone else a disgrace. Now, on with the story.

Ranma's fists were clenched and his eyebrow twitching as he read the sign, slowly walking towards his zoologically-altered father, "What have you done? Why don't you think about it!"

As he finished the second sentence, Ranma had quickly darted around Genma intending to perform cruelty to an endangered species by kicking the panda out the window. Only Ranma instead suddenly found himself outside and flying through the air towards the koi pond where she landed with a splash.

'What just happened?' the next sign Genma pulled out asked, then he shrugged as much as a panda could and dropped to all fours to start lumbering his way down to breakfast. It was too early with too little food to think about anything just yet.

* * *

-o0o-

After breakfast and a bit of warm water to return him to his Y-chromosome-possessing form, Ranma found himself walking to school alongside his enforced fiance - if not his chosen fiance, since everyone convienently forgot that he had never chosen; everyone else had pushed Akane at him, then Akane had given him to Nabiki, then Nabiki had dumped him back on Akane, passing him around like a ball in a gym class game of soccer - in regards to the Saotome/Tendo agreement to 'unite the schools'.

"I don't know how you can think you're so great at martial arts when you end up knocking yourself out of the window," Akane snorted at Ranma in a superior tone.

"Says the girl who didn't even know Kuno was holding back on her until he went all-out against me," Ranma retorted, referring to upperclassman and Kendo Club captain Kuno Tatewaki, the self-proclaimed 'Blue Thunder of Furinken High'.

"Kuno was just holding back so he could use it as an excuse when I beat him," Akane countered sharply, "I still would win if he'd fight me without doing that."

"Just keep telling yourself that," Ranma stretched his arms into the air and said bluntly, "Maybe if you'd actually bother to learn something new instead of 'practicing what you already know', you might actually get better even that it'd even be true. Until then, you're just really not that good compared to anyone else around. You get better by learning more, you get stagnant by repeating the same stuff, I know that much, anyway."

"Grrr... Ranma..." Akane growled and summoned her mallet, intending to send the pig-tailed boy flying into the next ward in reply to that observation.

* * *

-o0o-

Akane didn't end up in the next ward, at least not from her attempted malleting of Ranma, instead she came to a crash landing against the walls surrounding Furinken High School just in time for Kuno's morning greeting-slash-challenge, something for which she was in no mood. It was, however, her response to said greeting of trying to kick Kuno over the school and going flying again herself that would cause her to be late for class.

Kuno, on his part, stood there staring at Akane as she went flying through the air into the distance. He was trying to process what had just happened when Ranma arrived and the kendoist's brain fell back into its usual chain of thought; his Fierce Tigeress had came running towards his manly embrace when suddenly she was pulled away by unseen forces, then the Foul Sorceror Saotome appeared to taunt him, therefore it was obviously yet another attempt by the Foul Sorceror to keep his love from him.

"Vile Cur!" Kuno shouted as he charged Ranma, "To free the beautious Tendo Akane from your evil, I strike!"

When her name was spoken, Ranma looked around to see if Akane herself was there and so he was caught when Kuno brought his bokken down on Ranma's head only to knock himself out instead of the younger man.

Scratching his cheek as he looked at the unconscious upperclassman, Ranma frowned, "Weird."

* * *

-o0o-

Proving once again that Kuno and Akane were allowed to get away with anything and he was blamed for everything, when the youngest Tendo daughter didn't arrive for class, it was Ranma who found himself sent out into the hall to hold buckets of water with the teacher claiming it was his responsibility 'as her fiancee' to ensure Akane arrived on time. While normally such an injustice would cause the 'barrier' that Ryoga had erected the night before to take effect, Ranma didn't really care about class anyways because of how he was brought up and so the injustice of it didn't affect him and thus didn't trigger the 'barrier'.

Ranma wasn't, contrary to popular belief, stupid; he merely lacked in book-smarts. He knew that once he had reached a certain point in a jump he started to come back down to the ground even if he didn't know that it was the Law of Gravity at work causing it. So, it wasn't actually that hard for him to start putting two and two together, come up with twelve and then divide by three to get the correct answer.

'Pops splashes me with water and turns into the panda while I stay a boy... I go to kick the panda into the pond and end up in it myself... Akane mallets me and I don't feel a thing, but she goes flying... She kicks Kuno and goes flying again... Kuno hits me and knocks him own self out... It's Opposite Day, I guess; whatever anyone tries to do, the opposite happens,' Ranma decided.

As was previously stated, he added two plus two, got twelve and then divided by three to reach four. At least he reached four as an answer instead of an essay about how the numbers must feel being added and divided without regard for their own opinions.

* * *

-o0o-

It was after lunch when Ranma was back in the classroom, being ignored by a huffy Akane and drooled over by another fiance that didn't understand the concept of friendship, when another party burst open the classroom door, laughing like an escapee from the looney bin.

The author would like to take this moment to apologise to any looney bin escapees offended by the comparison to Kuno Kodachi, sister of Kuno Tatewaki and the self-proclaimed 'Black Rose of St. Hebekre's Girls School'.

"Oh-hohoho," Kodachi laughed, causing at least one thoughtful student to wonder if Santa Clause would sue her for copyright infringement over the 'hohoho' part of the Black Rose's laugh, as she withdrew a bouquet of black roses with a flourish, "My beloved Ranma-sama, I come with a token of my affections."

When Kodachi threw the roses at him, Ranma tilted his head to the side and the bouquet went flying past to land on the desk of the same student who had been thinking about Kodachi's laugh. Fortunately for them, it didn't seem to explode; but, something else must have as Kodachi herself was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of green gas that caused her to collapse to the floor unconscious.

The teacher sighed, "Someone please go to the office and have them inform Saint Hebekre's that we have their missing student... again."

* * *

-o0o-

After school, Ranma had taken a cup of cold water and gone into the dojo to practice in her female form, deciding that with the amount of time she ended up in it, it would be best to be used to moving in it at least - even if she didn't like the form - so that she could fight better in it. She didn't notice the person spying on her practice with the Polaroid Instamatic Camera in their hands.

'Oh, yeah,' Nabiki thought to herself as she took the first picture, 'This one will get me plenty of money from Kuno.'

As soon as the camera spat out the picture, Nabiki caught it and held it up, waiting for it to develop, and develop it did into a picture of herself in her shorts and bra.

'What the?' Nabiki mentally swore, pressing the button again to take another picture of Ranma-chan.

This time, the resulting picture was of Nabiki posing in nothing but her underwear. She tried again and again with similar results, each time dropping the resulting pictured on the ground in anger until finally it was too much and she got up and stormed away towards her room, intending to take the camera to a shop the next day and have it fixed before whatever was wrong with it put a dent in her profits. It was later when she had finished her practicing and was on her way out of the dojo that Ranma-chan happened to look down and notice the discarded pictures, picking them up for a closer look.

"So she's starting to do herself," Ranma-chan muttered, "I guess that's more fair than selling ones of me and Akane..."

Shrugging, Ranma-chan decided to stick Nabiki's pictures under the middle sister's door for her, then get some hot water before dinner.

* * *

-o0o-

"I don't know why," Ranma muttered to himself as he was laying down for bed, "But after today, I just feel like there's justice in the world..."

Half a world away, a lone figure walked south along a road, surrounded by snow and ice and the sound of passing eighteen-wheelers echoing in his ears.

"Where am I now?" Ryoga muttered, wishing he could hear Ranma's sounds of eternal suffering, "Damn you, Ranma! There's just no justice in the world!"

* * *

-o0O0o-

Author's Note; I regret to inform those anonymous reviewers who _do_ leave a name and _do _give constructive, creative and/or helpful reviews that I will likely be disabling anonymous reviews in the near future. This is no reflection on any of you, but rather due to a recent increase in derogatory and rude reviews left simply by 'guest' that I have no desire to put up with and am in no way required to do so.


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